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Parve
Easy
40 Minutes
Diets 
Chanukah normally falls out during our summer holiday, toward the end of the year, so we often combine Chanukah with an end-of-year party. It gives me the opportunity to take out the deep-fryers and frying pans for latkes, fat cakes, doughnuts, slap chips and chili bites (dahltjies, pronounced dull-keys, or daaaarrlingkies, as one of my friends calls them). Cape Malay culture has significantly influenced South Africa’s wide variety of culinary delights, and dhaltjies are often served as an accompaniment to curries. They may vary a little in texture and flavor from person to person, but they are delicious, darling! Makes 20
1 cup chickpea flour
1 and 1/2 cups cake flour
1 onion, very finely chopped or grated
250 grams baby spinach leaves, finely shredded
2 teaspoons crushed dried chilies
1 teaspoon red masala
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric, such as Pereg
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin, such as Pereg
1 teaspoon Haddar Baking Powder
water
sunflower oil for deep-frying
Sift the flours into a large bowl.
Mix in the onion, spinach, chilies, masala, salt, turmeric, coriander and cumin.
Add enough water to make a thick batter (it mustn’t be runny).
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan until fairly hot. Stir the baking powder into the batter just before frying.
Using a tablespoon, drop the batter into the oil and fry slowly until golden-brown. (Ensure that the oil doesn’t get too hot; otherwise the chili bites will burn on the outside and remain raw in the middle.) Test by piercing with a toothpick. If it comes out dry, the chili bites are ready.
Remove from heat and drain on absorbent kitchen paper. Serve warm.
Photography by Michael Smith
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